Interesting Thought...


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If you wanted to mediate the differences in the classes a bit, you could change the HD progression to something more like this:

Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +1 HD per 2 levels
Cleric, Druid: +1 HD per 3 levels
Bard, Rogue, Monk: +1 HD per 4 levels
Sorcerer, Wizard: +1 HD per 5 levels

This would make a Human 20th level fighter a 1d10 + 10d10 character. The first getting max HP (10), assuming average rolls (1d10 average = 5.5 per die) means 65 HP before CON is taken into account.

This would make a Human 20th level Cleric a 1d10 + 6d10 character. Again, the first getting max HP (10), assuming average rolls means 43 HP before CON is taken into account.

This would make a Human 20th level Bard a 1d10 + 5d10 character. This results in an average of 37.5 HP before CON is taken into account.

This would make a Human 20th level Wizard a 1d10 + 4d10 character. This results in an average of 32 HP before CON is taken into account.

On average, Half-Orcs would have +1 HP per HD over humans (+2 on the first one). The D8 races would lose 1 HP per HD on average (-2 on the first one). The d6 races would lose 2 HP per HD (-4 on the first one).
 

It is an interesting thought.
It's also quite similar to the way Rolemaster (Yes, that juggernaut of a system) handles hit points.
You get a hit die according to your race and you pay points per level to add a number of hit points. The cost depends on your character class.

Your suggestion seems to be low-hit point oriented, no?
 

I'm sure I will quickly get a lot of people tell me that I'm a munchkin or powergamer...

But really...

Why would, aside from roleplaying reasons, anyone EVER want to play a gnome, halfling, etc. in this system?
 

First, I agree with Tsyr that this would seriously shaft the small races unless you give them some other advantage.

Second, this isn't going to solve the "too many hitpoints" problem. It's just going to reduce hitpoints for mages and thieves. A fighter with an 18 Con is still going to average around 200 hitpoints at 20th level. It's just that now his mage buddy with an 18 Con is going to be averaging 57-ish whereas before it would be over 110. And seriously, why would a mage put an 18 into Con when over 20 levels it's only going to net 20 more hitpoints?

Personally, I think hitpoints should be tied more to Con than to class, not the other way around.

If you want to bring hitpoints down do something about fighters, not mages (and I've got no ideas to help you there).

UofMDude
 

This is in response (somewhat) to Henry's post in the previous thread about AC.

I do find it kind of funny that small creatures (roughly half the size of medium creatures) get a +1 bonus to AC

and a medium creature with half cover, providing a target roughly the size of a small creature, gets a +4 bonus to AC

What's up with that?

Modifications to small (and smaller) creatures AC would help somewhat. But then you have to consider that hitpoints in DnD are more than just your body and the game is balanced for higher hitpoints. These modifications just wont work at higher levels with spells like Horrid Wilting.

UofMDude
 

Like I said -- it was more idea than solution -- and I am not really trying to solve anything.

It just seemed odd that classes -- a profession -- is treated as a sort of race when it comes to HP.
 

I like it! It worked fine in that ChartMaster system, they had a HP cap based on size and race. It is more realistic and if thats what you wish to emphasize then its an excelent call.
 

Just a thought

How about using UofMDude's suggestion and tying it to CON? HD progression based on CON bonus instead of class:

+4 or higher=1HD/lvl
+3=1HD/2lvls
+2=1HD/3lvls
+1=1HD/4lvls
0 or less=1HD/5lvls

Haven't figured it out, but at first glance it looks like a bunch of weak adventurers wandering about. Interesting concept to play around with, though.
 

Limper said:
I like it! It worked fine in that ChartMaster system, they had a HP cap based on size and race. It is more realistic and if thats what you wish to emphasize then its an excelent call.

That is an interesting idea except that hip points in D&D were never intended to be realistic. When a person gets hit with a sword, they loose more than a few hit points: the bleed, they weaken, they feel pain. All of these were removed from the game for simplicity and fun.

The only thing to do to make combat more realistic is to ditch HP all together, develop different methods of defence which can "soak" a certain amound of damage (perhaps a certain die roll amount) and have every attack in combat be a battle of that against the attackers weapon. Anything that got through would be a damage to the defender's body.

Of course the down side to this would be a complete doubling of die rolls (and thus time) during combat.
 

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